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Blow 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Ted Demme
R, 120 min. (drug use, language, violence, sexuality) |
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Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens, Jordi Mollà, Ray Liotta, Ethan Suplee, James King III, Max Perlich, James King
Producers: Ted Demme, Denis Leary, Joel Stillerman
Screenplay: David McKenna, Nick Cassavetes
Cinematography: Ellen Kuras
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Released: 4.06.01 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Simply put, Blow is an outstanding film. It has shades of Traffic in its delivery, although this time the story is seen through the
eyes of a drug dealer - from his beginnings to his eventual end. In many ways it reminded me of the brilliant Scarface, and
Johnny Depp is almost as believable as Al Pacino was in that film. Director Ted Demme does the almost impossible - he makes
the viewer feel sympathetic towards the drug dealer by the end of the film. Obviously, that direction of the film is debatable
in its merits, but it does create a sense of satisfaction for the viewer - that in the end drugs ruins the lives of even the drug
dealers themselves.
We see the story of George (Johnny Depp) from his childhood experiences of poverty, to his perch as one of the most
powerful men in the drug world, to his eventual fall and emotional devastation. When he is a child, he sees that the hard work
of his father Ray (Ray Liotta) is still not enough to meet the insatiable demands of his wife (Rachel Griffiths), thereby promising
himself that he would never be poor. This leads to his eventual life in the drug trade - beginning with simple marajuana dealing
to later being the main American liason for Pablo Escobar, the most powerful drug lord in South America. We see him begin
his dealing in California with his childhood friend Tuna (Ethan Suplee) and his newfound girlfriend Barbara (Franka Potente). His
source is a gay hairstylist named Derek (Paul Reubens). Slowly, his empire grows to the point where he must find his own source
in Mexico, but he is caught by the authorities and is sent to prison, where he meets his cellmate (Jordi Molla). His cellmate
gives him connections into the cocaine business, and soon he is in business with Escobar. Although he meets his beautiful
wife Mirtha (Penelope Cruz) and gets out of the business completely, he is eventually pulled back in because of monetary
problems.
Believe it or not, this film is not as much about the drugs as it is a story of life's lessons regarding the family. When George
is young, his father tells him that money is not what's really important in life - it's relationships (i.e. father-son relationships).
Even when his father learns of his drug trading, he doesn't condemn him (even though his mother does). Instead,
he supports his decisions and just wants him to be happy. Of course, at the time George doesn't understand this, but later
knows what his father meant when he has a daughter of his own.
Johnny Depp gives a truly great performance as George, a man who struggles with life's lessons and understands the choices
he makes - and their consequences. I'm not sure I've seen Depp better than this - he is really impressive. The supporting cast is
also outstanding - Ray Liotta is perfect as George's father, Penelope Cruz is good as Mirtha, and Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) gives a fine
performance as George's first love. In fact, there is not one weak character in this film, which means the casting is almost
perfect.
Blow, which is based on the true life story of George Jung, delivers almost everything you would expect from a movie dealing
with the drug trade, minus the violence. It is courageous in its presentation, yet also includes the message that drugs lead to
ruin and despair. Although a simple story, it keeps you involved and is perfectly paced for the material presented. Blow is
one of the better films so far this year - albeit the year is young and the lack of quality films at this time of year is almost a tradition.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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